BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO: BSEP P&O Committee FROM: Becca Todd, District Library Coordinator Pasquale Scuderi, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services DATE: March 24, 2015 RE: Recommendation for Expenditures in 2015-16 from the Library portion of the Berkeley Public Schools Educational Excellence Act of 2006 (BSEP) BACKGROUND INFORMATION: The Berkeley Schools Educational Excellence Act of 2006 allocates 7.25% of the available revenues annually: to provide student access to quality school libraries which shall be maintained by providing library staff to operate the District s K-12 school and other specialized libraries, and by allocating revenues for books, materials, services and equipment for the school libraries. Program Objectives Our library program aims to foster curiosity, creativity and critical thinking. Our focus is to provide a wide range of print and digital books, online resources and integrated programming to address every student s academic and independent reading needs. We work with classroom teachers and families to deepen reading engagement, build digital literacy and digital citizenship, and improve student achievement for each and every student. Program Summary BSEP monies fund the library staffing and resources throughout the Berkeley public school system. Recognizing the integral role school libraries play in our children s education, the Berkeley Public Schools Educational Excellence Act of 2006 continues the successful stabilization of library staffing which began with Measure B of 2004. This improves the level of service and support in each of our school libraries with updated collections and ongoing professional development in current library and information literacy practices. Our Library program aligns with BUSD s Local Control and Accountability Plan by supporting high quality instruction with high quality materials; promoting racial and cultural diversity of characters and content in library books, programs and resources; and providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive climate in the library. We also incorporate the Model School Library Standards for California which are part of the content standards to be included in LCAP statewide. Early Childhood Education Libraries From their earliest ages, our students benefit from a print-rich and story-filled environment. Our preschools have lending libraries from which students borrow a book every week to take home as part of the Book Bag Program. BSEP site funds provide funding for preschool library staff, while BSEP Library funding provides the materials. We augment the lending library through author studies, special guest readaloud days and family literacy fiestas in our preschools, coordinated in conjunction BSEP Library FY 15-16 p 1

with the Early Childhood Education Department, Berkeley Schools Fund and Berkeley Public Library. Elementary Libraries Our elementary students find a welcoming environment in the library, developing a culture of reading in a place where they can pursue their own interests in addition to fulfilling class assignments. Most classes visit their school site library on a weekly basis; depending on the school schedule, students may also drop in before or after school, at recess, or for special projects. The students are introduced to quality children s literature through read-alouds and booktalks, are guided to develop computer skills using the online library catalog and digital resources, and learn beginning research skills with library staff and classroom teacher collaboration. Secondary Libraries Our secondary students move into flexibly scheduled project-based library visits coordinated between the classroom teacher and the Teacher Librarian in alignment with the curriculum. Substantial print collections are augmented with vetted online databases, utilizing both school site and the public library resources. Students may also come to the library to work on a specific assignment with a pass from their classroom teacher. There are very active programs during the lunch break(s), including book clubs, art projects, and homework help, in addition to reading. At the middle schools, the libraries are open for 20 minutes before classes begin, and the high school library is open for a full hour before and after school for student use. School Community Space Our libraries often serve as a school community space for special events such as author visits, tutoring, geography bees, after school staff meetings and programs. Our school library resources belong to the entire school community and as such are a great equalizer both in terms of access to books and access to computers. BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LIBRARIES FY 2015-2016 During this past year, under the leadership of the District Library Coordinator, the Friends of the BUSD Libraries committee met in February and March to discuss the BUSD library program and develop this proposal for the coming school year. The committee includes teachers, parents, BUSD and City of Berkeley library staff, community members, and former P&O and BUSD Board members, and is always open to new members. See sites.google.com/site/friendsofbusdlibraries. The following recommendation is for the allocation of funds for the Purpose of Libraries in accordance with BSEP/Measure A. Library Staffing $1,525,600 The staffing model shown below, with 12.16 FTE classified staff and 8.2 FTE certificated staff, follows a similar overall structure as the previous year at the school site level. A district level shift is proposed to bring our credentialed Elementary BSEP Library FY 15-16 p 2

Teacher Librarian staffing to 1.6 FTE, up from the current 0.5 FTE. This change will be discussed in detail in the subsequent narrative. Elementary Teacher Librarian TSAs 1.6 FTE Elementary Library Media Technicians/Specialists* 9.5 FTE Middle School Teacher Librarians 3.0 FTE Middle School Library Media Technicians 1.86 FTE BHS Teacher Librarians 2.0 FTE BHS Library Media Technician 0.8 FTE BTA Teacher Librarian 0.6 FTE Central Media Library Technician 0.8 FTE District Library Coordinator 1.0 FTE * Note: The Elementary Library Media Technician job title is expected to change to Library Media Specialist. The term Technician/Specialist will be used throughout this document when referring to the classified elementary library staff. Teacher Librarians 7.2 FTE Background information - Teacher Librarians hold two credentials; a California Teaching Credential, and a Teacher Librarian Services Credential, along with a Master in Library and Information Science. Teacher Librarians: provide lessons in information literacy, research process, and digital citizenship; collaborate with classroom teachers on curricular units; offer guidance in reading selections and reading promotions, and; manage library acquisitions and circulation. Secondary - For the 2015-16 school year, our secondary Teacher Librarian staffing ratio remains the same. We have two Teacher Librarians at Berkeley High School, a 0.6 FTE Teacher Librarian at B-Tech Academy, and a Teacher Librarian serving each middle school. In addition to the library instructional and management responsibilities noted above, they oversee management of their site s textbook collection. Elementary - We are proposing to increase the certificated staffing at the elementary level. For the past year and a half we have had a 0.5 Elementary Teacher Librarian TSA working districtwide. The Elementary Teacher Librarian TSA develops lessons and resources aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Teachers College Reading and Writing Program (TCRWP), and often models their use in instruction. This has been a boon to the services provided to our students and staff, yet it is not enough. We are proposing to add.1 to her assignment, and to add a full time Elementary Teacher Librarian TSA to give us a total of 1.6 certificated positions to provide needed collaborative library instruction. This will substantially improve the support our site library staff and classroom teachers of the 11 elementary schools. There is a heightened urgency for increased Teacher Librarian instruction at the elementary level with the integration of Common Core State Standards and the growing use of online resources by our younger computer users. We need to bring consistency and full implementation to our Digital Citizenship instruction. Digital Citizenship encompasses much more than the early notions of cyber safety, including issues about privacy, security, relationships and communication, cyberbullying, creative credit and copyright. As we grow in our use of digital resources, BSEP Library FY 15-16 p 3

we need to teach skilled and responsible use of those resources, and more fully integrate information and computer literacy instruction into all subject areas. Teacher Librarians have this cross-curricular, information and computer literate instruction as their core focus. The current 0.5 Elementary Teacher Librarian has been establishing deeper instructional articulation between departments, collaborating with classroom teachers, Literacy Coaches, and the DigiTech Instructional Technology team. Adding another certificated librarian will increase our capacity to sustain and further develop this articulation, and to include ELD, Special Ed/RTI and the Family Engagement and Equity team. It will also help us further align our school library resources with the standards, be responsive to new initiatives such as the Toolbox curriculum and updating our Welcoming Schools resources, and effectively integrate the strategic use of ebooks, audiobooks and academic databases in addition to our strong print resources. Summary - Credentialed Teacher Librarian to Student ratio with this plan: Elementary 1 to 2,167 students Middle 1 to 676 students BHS 1 to 1,592 students Library Media Technicians/Library Media Specialists 12.16 FTE Background information - Our Library Media Technicians and Library Media Specialists are highly skilled classified staff who provide students and teachers with the library resources they seek. Library Media Technicians work in conjunction with the site Teacher Librarian, whereas Library Media Specialists manage the library as solo library staff. (The term Library Media Specialist is the proposed term for the classified library staff working solo in the Class and Compensation Study, which has been approved but is not yet put into effect as of this writing.) Secondary - At the high school level, the 0.8 FTE Library Media Technician position at BHS is an 11 month, rather than 10 month position, and manages the entire textbook collection for the BHS campus. When the beginning and end of semester demand for textbook management has abated, the Library Media Technician resumes duties in the library. At the Middle School level, the Library Media Technicians assist the Teacher Librarian with much of the resource management, including textbooks. Longfellow and Willard continue to be served by a 0.53 Library Media Technician position, while King Middle School continues to have a 0.8 FTE Library Media Technician position. Elementary - In recognition of their level of skill and responsibility as the solo library staff on site, the Classification and Compensation Study is recommending to upgrade the elementary library positions to be titled Library Media Specialist. At the time of this writing, the study s findings are pending, so the term Technicians/Specialists will be used in this proposal when referring to elementary library staff. BSEP Library FY 15-16 p 4

At the elementary level, the Library Media Technicians/Specialists are responsible for managing the circulation and re-shelving of all materials, which can run from 1,000 to 2,000 books per month at each site. They provide weekly class visits, complete with read-alouds, book talks, typing club opportunities and guidance in using the online catalog, as well as offering drop-in access during recess time when school schedules permit. Five elementary library staff work at 0.8 FTE at the smaller elementary schools, five larger schools work at 0.9 FTE, and Malcolm s library staff is 1.0 FTE. Central Media Library - At the District Office, the Central Media Library (CML) Technician handles the circulation of the central collection of instructional dvds, Systematic ELD Kits, science probes, historical stamp collections and other instructional materials. Greater capacity for general office support such as preparing requisitions and other documents is under development. In addition, the CML Technician spends a portion of every day at the elementary schools supporting the site library staff with collection management and special projects. District Library Coordinator 1.0 FTE The District Library Coordinator administers the annual library plan for the district, overseeing staffing, collection development, technology upgrades and professional development throughout the school library system. Through on-site visits, monthly meetings and periodic workshops, the District Library Coordinator guides the school level library staff in staying abreast of library and information literacy trends, and integrates districtwide initiatives into the library program. The District Library Coordinator also has a leadership role facilitating the Instructional Technology team (aka DigiTech) in collaboration with the Technology Director. Hourly Extra Duty $16,000 Summer Extended Day Library Program - $6,000 The BEARS Summer School Library program will continue in the summer of 2015, with a Library Media Technician/Specialist at both BEARS/EDC summer school sites (this year Emerson and Thousand Oaks) for fifteen hours per week at each site for four weeks of summer school and two weeks of the BEARS-only program thereafter. The Library Media Technicians/Specialists provide library visits, book circulation and special projects for the BEARS/EDC students and staff. This summer program supports our focus on literacy, and yields strong results by mitigating the common summer slide. School Year Preparation - $7,000 Two extra duty days at the start of the school year for the classified library staff allows them to be participants in the whole school initiatives that are developed during the staff meetings prior to the first day of school, enabling them to better tailor their library collections and programs to the needs at each school site. BSEP Library FY 15-16 p 5

Library Media Technician/Specialist Substitutes - $3,000 With this small fund we are able to train and provide substitutes for elementary Library Media Technicians/Specialists. Otherwise Library services are suspended when an elementary Library Media Technician/Specialist is absent. Professional Development $8,000 Participating in library workshops and conferences strengthens instructional and managerial skills and helps library staff stay abreast of developing instructional and library technologies. Professional Development monies pay for registration fees, and for substitutes if the workshops fall during the school day. Workshops can include: San Mateo County Office of Education Library Staff Summer Training Program; American Library Association (ALA) annual conference; Computer Using Educators (CUE) regional workshops; Association of Children s Librarians (ACL) Spring Institute; San Francisco Public Library workshops. Collection and Resource Development $180,500 School Library Collections - $156,500 BUSD libraries provide print and digital resources for a broad range of reading levels and interests. The titles are selected to be in alignment with curriculum content and library standards, promoting students access to the materials they need for reports and research. In addition, our collections are geared to stimulating students selections for free reading and pursuing individual interests. Library books can range from $11-$30 in cost, with nonfiction titles such as those required for the Common Core State Standards tending toward the higher end of the range. The allotment of $15 per pupil is the same as last year s formula K-12, and increases the preschool allotment to $20 per pupil. Bilingual, TWI and Transitional Kindergarten Collections - $8,000 An additional allotment for the Bilingual and TWI libraries continues to augment materials for students at our Bilingual and TWI schools who are studying core curriculum and pursuing free reading in Spanish. Adjusting to new TK students also requires additional funding for preschool-age appropriate library materials at the school libraries who now are serving younger students. Interactive ebooks, audiobooks and special projects - $16,000 Our libraries audio and digital book collections benefit from a central allocation as we test waters to determine the best formats for expansion, and then provide support to effectively utilize these resources. Interactive ebooks include the capacity for read-aloud support, word definition, and note-taking. Audiobook streaming via Tales2Go pilot has been so successful, we are extending it to all 11 elementary sites. BSEP Library FY 15-16 p 6

Dedicated audiobook devices called Playaways provide audio support for upper elementary students who are struggling to participate in literature circles in their classrooms. Playaways are more costly, running $50-$60 per book, so we are proposing an infusion of 10 Playaways per elementary school. Information Literacy and Access $26,000 Library and Textbook Management System - $18,200 Our libraries use the Destiny Library and Textbook Management System from Follet. The online catalog is accessible from any networked computer or mobile device at school, at home or on the road, and supports our ebook collections on the embedded Follett Shelf. Students and staff can view their own accounts, and our library staff uses it to manage patrons, materials and circulation. WebPath Express is an additional license for the elementary sites which provides age-appropriate vetted websites for information sources beyond the book collection. The annual license renewal fee includes technical support for all 16 school sites, the Central Media Library and the Music Library. Online databases - $7,800 The Library Department provides online reference resources for students and their families through subscriptions to World Book Online. These digital resources, which are available to the entire PreK-12 student body and their families, have yearly subscription fees for access and maintenance. Linked on every school library website, they offer high quality vetted information that ensures a stable stepping stone along the path of information seeking projects. Additional subscription databases are carried by Berkeley High School for the secondary schools as part of their collection, such as ABC-Clio, Opposing Viewpoints, ProQuest, and Teen Health and Wellness. District Library Services $47,500 Technology Upgrades - $25,000 Each library has student computer workstations and instructional technology equipment such as an LCD projector, projection cart, screen, and speakers. Some have a small collection of ipads and/or chromebooks. An ongoing cycle of maintenance and upgrade of this network of computers and other equipment is needed to keep our libraries responsive to patrons needs, and is coordinated in conjunction with the Technology Department. Library Services Office - $18,500 The District Library Coordinator s office handles ongoing needs such as materials promoting author/illustrator visits, posters for the California Young Reader Medal and the Cook Award for STEM Picture Books, brochures of resources, materials for professional development, reading promotions, and in-town transportation costs. BSEP Library FY 15-16 p 7

Additionally, the District Library maintains a web page of central services and school site library links for staff and families at library.berkeleyschools.net/. All of the library collections of the K-12 schools and the Central Media Library are searchable online. Each of those libraries maintains virtual library web pages guiding students to additional resources appropriate for their studies. The Bay Area attracts many authors/illustrators on tour and we are often able to piggyback on those tours. While continuing to be alert to capitalize on these unscheduled opportunities, we want to ensure that each school has a significant literary visitor in the 2015-16 school year. We also want to amplify our commitment to bring forward diverse authors and illustrators. To that end, we are proposing to bring nationally renown literary artist(s) to visit every campus during the 2015-16 school year. An honorarium and transportation costs per site is calculated to be $17,500. BUDGET SUMMARY The BSEP revenue, combined with the fund balance, will allow the library program to continue through the end of the Measure in 2016-17. The increases in student population numbers, and in staffing costs and time, necessitate a substantial reliance on the fund balance, and will continue to be a balancing act for the life of the current BSEP Measure. In summary, the recommendation for the expenditure of the BSEP Library funds in FY 2015-16 is: BSEP Revenue Allocation for FY 2015-16 $1,770,600 Projected Expenditures Library Staffing $1,525,600 Hourly Extra Duty 16,000 Professional Development 8,000 Collection and Resource Development 181,500 Information Literacy and Access 26,000 District Library Services 47,500 Reserve for Personnel Variance 50,000 Indirect Cost of 6.54% 121,300 Total Expenses $1,975,900 Net Change to Fund Balance (205,300) Fund Balance Beginning Fund Balance $419,500 Net Increase/(Decrease) (205,300) Ending Fund Balance (June 2015) $214,200 BSEP Library FY 15-16 p 8